WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 210, 14 December 1910, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). GRETNA GREEN ROMANCE RUNAWAY MARRIAGE DECLARED TO BE LEGAL. London, November 1. There was an atmosphere of romance yesterday in the Probate Court, for one of the thousands of runaway marriages that took place at the famous toll-house at Gretna Green was the subject of enquiry. If the Gretna Green wedding were proved to have taken place, and if its legality were upheld, Mr. John Hewitt, a Newcastle butcher, inherited the property of an aunt. Otherwise the property passed to the Crown. The petitioner, Mr. John Hewitt, was grandson of the lover who eloped with his sweetheart to Gretna Green in 1851, and there got married. Petitioner said his father was bom in 1851-at Todhills, Bjockliffe, Cumberland. Replying to Mr. Pilcher. who represented the Attorney-General, he said the Gretna Green marriage was always accepted by the family. His grandparents, however, were married a second time at Wallsend in 1858. Mr. Evan James Macgillivray, a Scottish lawyer, was called with reference to the Gretna Green marriage, and was asked, ''Would the facts stated on this document—the certificate given at that time—if true, constitute a valid marriage, according to the law of Scotland at that date?" "Yes," he replied, ".all that was required was the covenant of the parties." Mr. John Edward Vipond, managing clerk to a firm of solicitors at Carlisle, said the marriages at the Gretna Green toll-house were performed by various members of a family named Murray. Messrs Wright and Brown, solicitors, by whom he was formerly employed, originally held books containing entries of the marriages, which numbered 7000 or 8000, and they were purchased by the firm in 1889 from the last member of the Murray family. The book'containing the entry concerning the petitioner's grandfather was produced. \Mr. Pilcher, for the Crown, said he only foroally appeared in order to get at the facts. The peculiar feature was that the same people went through another ceremony some years after the Gretna Green affair. Mr. Justice Bargrave Deane decided that the 1851. marriage was legal, and 'gave judgment accordingly.

AIRMAN AND ACTRESS. GRAHAME-WHITE AND PAULINE ' CHASE ENGAGED. Miss Pauline Chase, through her manager, Mr. Charles Frohman, has announced her betrothal to Mr. Grahame-White, the distinguished airman. "Yes," she said, when asked, "it is true, and I am very happy. We shall be married next spring in London." "You will not retire from the stage?" she was asked. "Oh, yes, I shall. I shall go back to London to say good-bye to the stage in 'Peter Pan' before being married." Miss C.'iase added that she felt that gratitude demanded that she should bid her farewells to the theatre- ' going public in London, where she scored her first suecess. It was in London also that she first met Mr. Grahame-White, nine years ago. When Mr. GrahameWhite was making his spectacular flights at Boston, the actress induced him to take her one afternoon as a passenger. She declared her intention to-day of taking another flight with her fiancee at the air meeting at Long Island. Miss Chase, who has played "Peter Pan" in Mr. Barrie's perennial play since 1906, was borne in Washington in 1885, and first appeared on the stage at the age of fourteen. Later she came to England with Miss Edna May, and afterwards appeared in a small part in "The Schoolgirl," until she was selected by Mr. Barrie to play "Peter Pan" in succession to Miss Nina Boucicault and Miss Cissy Loftus. She regards England as her home, and not long ago was baptised' iin the Church of England, Mt. Barrie standing as her godfather and Miss Ellen Terry as her godmother. Her favorite recreation is' motoring, but for the past year she has been deeply interested in flying and made a journey in the air with I Mr. Grahame-White during his demonstrations at Brooklands. Mr. Claude Grahame-White, who leapt into fame by his" brilliant attempts to win the Daily Mail £IO,OOO. prize for the flight from London to Manchester, is thirty years of age, and was one of the earliest devotees of motoring. He has gone from triumph to triumph at flying meetings in England and America, and is now recognised as probably the most skilful and courageous airman of the day.

"GOLDEN" WEDDINGS AND THE IMPECUNIOUS NOBILITY. London, December 1. ■Mr. W. T. Stead has an article in one of the papers to-day, in which he describes as most breezy and witty Mr. Lloyd-George's speeches when contrasting the eagerness of the impecunious nobility to marry American dollars with the holy horror they manifest at Mr. Redmond's receiving subscriptions from Irish exiles in the United States. The Daily Chronicle publishes a tabulated list of marriages between American women and British peers, from which it is seen that American heiresses have brought over £40,000,000 in dowries. It was recently calculated by the New York World that 500 American heiresses •had married Europeans, "within a comparatively recent period." But an accurate estimate amount of capital thus withdrawn from American enterprises on that account is impossible. Since, however, marriage settlements varying from £400,000 to £BOO,OOO are said to have been so numerous as not to excite remark, it has been urged that something should be done to equalise matters, by taxing imported bridegrooms or the dowries of American brides to foreigners. Such imposts would seem to be unconstitutional, but American legislative ingenuity, it is thought, might solve the problem, and would doubtless be enthusiastically supported by American suitors who Jiave been jilted in favor of distinguished Englishmen or other Europeans. The New York World concluded: "At a time when legislation is directed to conserving the country's natural resources,

and subjecting wealth to new taxation, it is a mistake to permit the free exportation of capital for the repair of ruined castles in Europe." - It is an old controversy, this question of the exodus of American heiresses (lately remarked a New York correspondent). It re-appears whenever a foreign nobleman's engagement on this side is announced, 017 failing that, regularly every spring time. American suitors complain .bitterly that ladies here are dazzled by the prospect of titles and position, and that Europeans give more time and zeal to the business of courtship, so that natives, in most respects desirable, are often badly handicapped in the competition for hearts and fortunes. The New York World apparently endorses the advice of Miss Hetty Green, Wall-street's shrewd woman financier, that "any hardworking, sober young American business man is good enough for the richest American girl who ever lived. Let us keep our goods in the country."

OLD BEADWORK. Old beadwork is being much sought after now by curio collectors (says a H»m« writer), and beautiful ornaments of that day from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are being acquired by the connoiseuv. Curious panels and mirror frames are found, made by laying the beads flat on linen foundations. Then there is the headwork of the •Stuart times and later, which was a rough form of knitting embellished with boads and lined with leather. There aie knitted stocking purses ornamented with colored' and crystal beads, and also to be looked for are wristlets, panels for screens, pincushions, handle coverings for knives and forks, elaborate reticules, and fancy m-ats. It is a good plan to keep antique specimens of beadwork under glass, as the silk is apt to rot with age and the beadwork to fall apart.

.TEA GOWNS. The fashions which control the destinies of the tea-gown seems to asknowled'ge no hard and fast rules. They are not of an .age. but for all time, and you may be statuesquely Greek or primly Georgian in the choice of your "robe d'interieur," Early Victoria:], or First Empire, just as the fancy takes you. Be slim and willowy, choose fabrics and colors ' that suit your individual style and complexion, and Fashion will ask nothing more. You may rest assured that your tea-gown will be a success. After a, morning more or less tiring, spent probibly in tramping over the fields or wandering about the moors, it is delightful to change into a luxurious -tea-gown, and to enjoy tiie freedom and comfort of loosely flowing draperies, as contrasted with the trim neatness of the severely simple tailor-made costume. The teagowns this season, too, are in many insianeps quite smart enough for bridgeplaying, and even for dinner-dresses, especially in those country houses where the comfort and ease of the visitors are considered more important than any strict adhesion to the la\vs i of town etiquette.—The Scotsman.-*

A FASHIONABLE WEDDING. - If the story be true that. Lord Kitchener and Sir Archibald Hunter, a quarter of a century ago, had a bet of £ 100 as to who should marry first, then the former must to-day (writes'a London correspondent) be considerably richer, for the first bridegroom has been Sir Archibald Hunter, an eminent soldier and present Governor of Gibraltar. His mar--riage took place at St. George's Church, Hanover-square, to Lady Mary . Inverclyde, and to the sound of much cheering, many distinguished guests, drove up to the church. The person whom the public were most anxious to see was Lord Kitchener, who was fulfilling the duties of best man to his old comrade. But they "were doomed to disappointment, and had to put up with Lord Roberts and other noted campaigners instead. It is wc>y known that Lord Kitchener dislikes fuss, and on this occasion he took care to explore beforehand, with the result that lie discovered a small door in a back street which led into the church. Here, unseen by the waiting thousands, with cameras ready for the snapshot, he arrived with the bridegroom, and together they entered the church as quietly and privately and as easily as possible. Lord Kitchener's wedding present was a pair of large double-handed silver cups with covers . Sir Archibald's comrades in the Egyptian Army sent a magnificent antique silver centre-piece, dated 1808. There was no reception after the ceremony, but the bride and bridegroom were photographed,- and the photographer was anxious for Lord Kitchener to pose also. "No, no," he answered, "I'm not being married. I'll be photographed when I'm married." Lady Mary Inverclyde was the .widow of the second Lord Inverclyde, and younger daughter of Mr. Hickson Fergus son.